1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to wheeled carts that have legs that can be folded into a retracted position. More particularly, the present invention relates to wheeled carts that are designed to collapse so that the cart can be placed inside a vehicle without being unloaded.
2. Prior Art Statement
Many people who shop in a supermarket or another large retail store often utilize the shopping carts provided by that store. A shopping cart is typically obtained by a customer as that customer enters a store. The customer shops and places the various products into the cart. The cart is then used to wheel the products to the checkout counter. Once purchased and packaged, the packaged goods are placed back into the shopping cart and are wheeled to the buyer's car. The packaged goods must then be lifted out of the shopping cart and placed into the buyer's car. Finally, the shopping cart must be returned. After the buyer drives the packaged goods home, the buyer must manually carry the packaged goods out of the car.
For a variety of reasons, many people have difficulty lifting packages out of a shopping cart and placing them in an automobile. Such people have even more difficulty lifting the packages out of the automobile and carrying them into the house.
Such people typically rely upon the use of collapsible portable carts. Such carts fold up and collapse into small shapes that can be easily loaded into an automobile. However, such collapsible carts cannot be folded up while still loaded with groceries. Accordingly, a person must unload the packages from the cart at the vehicle, fold and store the cart, drive home, unfold the cart and reload the cart.
In the prior art, shopping carts have been invented that can fold up while still holding packages. Such prior art carts are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,388 to de Wit, entitled Collapsible Cart. In the de Wit patent, a shopping cart is shown with a basket of a fixed shape and collapsible legs. The legs can be collapsed while the basket is full. However, the entire full basket must then be lifted and placed into a vehicle. Any person who has trouble lifting packages would find it nearly impossible to lift a basket filled with multiple packages.
A need exists for a cart that can be used while shopping in a store, wherein the cart can easily pass into a car without being unloaded or lifted. In this manner, a person does not have to load and unload packaged goods. Rather, the packaged goods can remain in the cart before, during, and after a person drives home from a store. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.